• RNA Gheraoes Maoists • Vajpayee-Musharraf ... - Digital Himalaya
• RNA Gheraoes Maoists • Vajpayee-Musharraf ... - Digital Himalaya
• RNA Gheraoes Maoists • Vajpayee-Musharraf ... - Digital Himalaya
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NEWSNOlJ"ES<br />
'Nepal Bandh' Passes<br />
Off Peacefully<br />
Despite fears of widespread violence,<br />
the 'Nepal Bandh' (nationwide shutdown<br />
strike) passed off largely peacefully all<br />
over the country Thursday (July 12), repons<br />
said. Life remained disrupted in the<br />
capital Kathmandu, as vehicles stayed off<br />
the streets and most shops remai ned closed.<br />
Riot police were manning the streets and<br />
only police vans and ambulances could be<br />
seen on the roads. Reports said a group of<br />
unidentified people burnt down a night bus<br />
bound to Kakarbhitta from Kathmandu in<br />
eastern Nepal early Thursday. Maoistrebels<br />
mounted attacks against several police posts<br />
in remote hilly districts killing two policemen<br />
(one each in Rolpa and Baglung) and<br />
abducting more than 70. In a statement, the<br />
chairman of the Maoist party, Comrade<br />
Prachanda, thanked the people for making<br />
the ebandh' a success. His party has also<br />
taken responsibility for killing a sen'ior<br />
police officer in Dang and attacks at a<br />
police post in Rolpa, among others.<br />
Prachanda further said epeople's actions'<br />
will continue in the days to come. Leading<br />
dailies report July /3.<br />
Where Are The<br />
Maoist Leaders?<br />
A day after Deputy Prime Minister<br />
and Home Minister Ram Chandra Poudel<br />
4<br />
claimed that senior Maoist leaders were<br />
taking shelter in India, asenior HomeMinistry<br />
source has said most of them are<br />
within the country . According to the source,<br />
recently Maoist leaders Comrade<br />
Prachandaand Dr. Baburam Bhattarai were<br />
reported to have been in Chitwan district to<br />
take part in the underground party's central<br />
committee meeting. Both of them visit<br />
India frequently. According to intelligence<br />
reports, senior Maoist leaders Mohan<br />
Baidya alias Comrade Kiran and military<br />
strategist Ram Babadur Thapa alias Comrade<br />
Badal are believed to be working from<br />
thecapital. Another Maoist leader Krishna<br />
Bahadur Mahara is said to be overseeing<br />
party's operations in Rukum and Rolpa<br />
districts whereas two senior leaders, C. p.<br />
Gajurel and Haribol Gajurel, frequently<br />
travel between Nepal and India as pan of<br />
their party's works, agencies said. On Thursday,<br />
Poudel said the government was looking<br />
for the Maoist leaders and would arrest<br />
them as soon as they were found.Rajdhani<br />
July 13.<br />
India To Deploy Army<br />
Along The Border<br />
The Indian government has decided to<br />
deploy its paramilitary rorce along the<br />
Nepal-India border beginning July 20 to<br />
control cross-border crimes, reports said.<br />
"The main objective of deploying the paramilitary<br />
force is to conLrol cross border<br />
crimes and illegal supply of arms," said<br />
Deputy Superintendent of Police Sushil<br />
Kumar Thakur in Raxaul. Sources said the<br />
Indian government has already deployed<br />
its army along the major western parts of<br />
the Nepal-India border. The Indian side is<br />
planning to mobilize its force from<br />
Balmikinagar of Nawalparasi district in<br />
the west to Jogbani in the east along the<br />
Nepal-India border. Recently a final survey<br />
was completed to deploy the force<br />
along the 240-km long border from<br />
Balmikinagarto Kisangunj COlllpiledfrom<br />
reports July 15.<br />
Ravi Bhakta Flected<br />
New FNCCI President<br />
First Vice-President of the Federation<br />
of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and<br />
Shrestha<br />
Industry (FNCCI), Ravi Bhakta Shrestha,<br />
has been elected to the post of President of<br />
the FNCCI. In the elections held for the<br />
post of President or the apex private sector<br />
body Tuesday, Shrestha has been elected·<br />
unoppo sed ror a period of two years. The<br />
annual general meeting of the FNCCI is to<br />
elect members to the new executive committee<br />
this week. Compiled from reports.<br />
Lauda Air Agreement<br />
May Come To An End<br />
The controversial agreement between<br />
state-owned Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation<br />
(<strong>RNA</strong>C) and Lauda Air or Austri '<br />
regarding the lease purchase of a widebody<br />
aircraft is likely to be tem1inated next<br />
week, reports said Thursday. The top anticorruption<br />
agency , CIAA, has filed cases<br />
against ten officials. including two from<br />
Lauda Air, alleging them of involved in<br />
irregularities while entering into the deal<br />
late last year. Meanwhile, a new controversy<br />
has erupted between the two sides<br />
after the <strong>RNA</strong>C officials refused to pay<br />
US$ 26,000 as demanded by Lauda Air as<br />
medical expenses of its crew. Nepal<br />
Samacharpatra daily reported.<br />
NHRC,KMTNC<br />
Denounce Attacks<br />
The National Human Rights Commission<br />
(NHRC) has condemned the recent<br />
killings or police personnel in three<br />
SPOTLlGHTIJUL Y 20, 2001